For a few months now my blogging time has been at the mercy of situations at home, as many of you know. Some of you are probably grateful. Some of you may be ecstatic. Still others are perhaps undecided, contemplating if the world is a better place without my regular ranting, raving, and splendidness. And there are two or three I know are being driven mad without their weekly dose, their fix of my penmanship and sheer foolishness. 😉 I know, I know. But there’s only so much of me to go around! And a few have my best parts, others have the not-so-good parts (always yelling at me are those), and several have curiously returned other parts of me as defective, dysfunctional, or in need of some sort of overhaul major repair—your refund check is in the mail… if I had your address. If I didn’t and you want your refund, call 1-900-932-4668, or with the letters on your dial pad: 1-900-YEA-H-NOT 😁
Seriously, don’t call that number. I have no idea if it’s a working number.
What tha hell have you been doing? GET BLOGGING Professor!
To briefly let you all know what I’m working on, here’s a rundown of a few, oldest to newest drafts:
Cheating Death —
Aubry, Pat, and Terry —
Kinshasa-Leopoldville —
He’s A Cannibal! —
Black Underworld Inc. – Appendix —
Transparency: A Double-Edged Razor —
Marx and Nietzsche Today —
Heterosexual Humble Pie —
Christian Apologetics: Land of Oz – Pt I —
A Bright Future for Our USMNT —
Social Compassion, Plus —
A Newer Constitution —
It’s a bit of a laugh isn’t it, this list? This is only 12 of 37 drafts I have awaiting completion. Yeah, now you can laugh and joke. I deserve it. For more chuckling, ask me when I will finish these and the other 25 drafts. HEY! I am not a terrible procrastinator. Life has lots of curveballs, some of them miss you by millimeters, others hit you smack in the sack-ticles!
Besides, most all of my last seven therapists have all told me, A procrastinator? Nah, you are like fine wine with time. Just don’t lose the homing-device for my whereabouts, bring a jolly attitude and more Malbec, preferably from the Mendoza Valley, Argentina. That is my medicine, my go-go juice 🍷 …or a smooth tequila. 🙃
Live Well – Love Much – Laugh Often – Listen More – Learn Always
While I have a couple of hours respite and sister spends the day and afternoon with Mom, I thought I’d quickly throw together—ladies and gentlemen, I do mean in reckless haste—many of our best images with a sampling of cell-phone videos I managed during our Family Getaway this past June to Mackinac Island, Michigan. A teaser, if you will.
As you read on, please play this musical accompaniment to better set-the-ambiance of this magnificent island stuck in a most charming bygone time…
Why did I wait six-months to share these pictures and videos? It wasn’t intentional, I assure you. There are some days and nights on Mackinac which in my amateur production expertise (which is none) deserve a brief backstory and context. Along with my perfectionistic cinematic ideas, I have wanted to make this feature presentation as delightful, humorous, eye-popping, and as memorable, for Mom especially, as was possible and even accompanied by Victorian-Edwardian time-period music in the background. It deserves in my mind nothing less. Furthermore, since my high school days I have dreamt onto my Bucket List a trip to the Grand Hotel ever since one of my favorite 1980 romantic films, Somewhere In Time was released. I am and always have been a huge sucker for time-travel stories!
Obviously, six-months later this dramatic award-winning aspiration has proven more problematic for me than I first thought. I imagined I’d have significantly more free-time upon our return to create this Oscar- and Emmy-nominated short motion picture. It hasn’t happened. Grrrrrr, Murphy’s Law-firm: 6, Dwain: fat donut-hole. 😒
Without further ado, here is a quick Teaser of what I hope will arrive here sooner rather than much later…
Day 1 — on the grand veranda at The Grand Hotel after finally checking-in about 3:00am in the morning due to my brain-fart at the Detroit Metropolitan International Airport. More on that in the final production.
Day 3a — exploring the island after relocating to our second accommodations at Harbor View Inn. Our two nights at the Grand Hotel when all said and done ran a measly $1,799.82. Harbor View Inn was a welcomed relief on the pocket-book, hah!
Day 3b — horse-carriage ride into town to Main Street to grab a visitors map, then Astor St. for lunch at the Yankee Rebel Tavern. I had a remarkably good Summer Orchard Salad with Bell’s Amber Ale on draft, a combination I couldn’t get enough of over our stay, followed by a walk on Market St.’s shops and parlors.
Click on image for expansive 2-page map
More themed music for your reading, listening enjoyment…
Day 5 — the family splits up! What? Say it isn’t so Nellie! I want to visit the military fort and museum, Fort Mackinac, and for some unfathomable reason, the ladies had no desire whatsoever to steeply climb the walkway up to the harbor-side gate, watch a celebratory 6-pounder cannon fire over the town, and witness a 19th-century soldier reenactment firing his M1873 .45-70 Springfield rifle. Seriously? What could possibly be more fun than hearing a barrage of Springfield rifles firing in unison? Here is what they did, pffft…
Here’s what I did, furthering my vast historical, military, and cultural knowledge of northern Michigan and the old U.S. frontier:
Please excuse my labored breathing in these two videos
I promised a few of you birding, butterfly, and insect enthusiasts a video of Mackinac Island’s Butterfly House & Insect World and I am delivering! Now, granted I am not a professional videographer, not even with my own Motorola moto e5 Go. In fact, I was sternly criticized by a dear female friend for two production-and-editing screwups: 1) what’s my malfunction with recording horses-asses all the time, and 2) “hold the damn phone sideways Steven Spielberg wannabe!” Case and point:
I will have to stop here. I know, I know… many of you are crushed by this. My sincere apologies, but I have run out of free-time. Sister has returned with Mom and she must dart off to her mandatory house-meeting before the Xmas weekend and holidays officially start tomorrow. Until next time when I finagle a bit of solo time, I will endeavor to work hard on the entire final, award-winning feature with full Victorian-Edwardian music accompaniment. It should be something Mom will cherish—at least that’s my hope.
Live Well — Love Much — Laugh Often — Learn Always
Today me and my family have much to be grateful for in spite of so many recent events in our lives and country. Hence, on this day we enjoy the company of loved ones, laughing together, remembering all the good shared, missing those who in leaving this life took a part of our hearts with them. Together in gratitude we listen to music (two songs) befitting our mood and fortunes.
And…
Happy Thanksgiving to you all with warmest wishes from the Miller-Strange family.
Live Well — Love Much — Laugh Often — Learn Always
Are you familiar with the Drake Equation? Do you know what it “equates”?
If you don’t know, here is a brief explanation by Space.com:
The Drake Equation is used to estimate the number of communicating civilizations in our galaxy, or more simply put, the odds of finding intelligent life in the Milky Way.
Note that the definition states only or strictly inside the Milky Way, our very own galaxy. And how many more galaxies are out there? According to the Hubble Space telescope scientists and mathematicians and their subsequent estimations, roughly 200-billion just within the OBSERVABLE Universe.
Basically, as there is indeed more than dust we see with our naked eye and beyond that more than just molecules, atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons, and probably more than even Quarks, there is just as likely “Still Something More” out there in interstellar space. It certainly stands to reason.
It is because of these above concepts and verifiable principles/proofs that today I can give you song; song that speaks VOLUMES without my words, but with musical notes and lyrics… which speak, which pronounce that truly there is and excitingly always will be…
“Something More!”
There is always something more. If one cares to discover more, to stop, listen, observe, examine, absorb, and TRULY understand all, all the nuts and bolts. By doing so then there will be… more! A lot more!
Yet, this begs our rat-race society a question, or more… How much time/effort do we commit to, set aside to actually DO those six things I listed? Are you hasty, have no time, too shallow to stop and observe? Or do you really slow down, apply those six attributes in your life with other people? This begs another question, Do you spend irreplaceable time WITH other humans doing those six things or spend irreplaceable time doing NON-human activities?
I ask you genuinely, honestly, truthfully to think about it! Pay close attention to the following lyrics as you listen to the apropos tune. Then, if you like, share your thoughts below.
Live Well — Love Much — Laugh Often — Learn Always
I have a brief respite from my full-time caretaker duties today. It’s allowed me a speedy post, a kind of shot in the sky from our emergency flare gun (three flares remaining 😬) so that some of you, my friends, will know that we three are remarkablystill afloat—granted dehydrated with weak pulses—drifting in a vast, seemingly unstable, insane sea of escaped asylum patients wandering around everywhere and in our state capitol. Today, I think my sister has begun imagining me as a side of lamb-chops, prime for roasting. The white asylum jackets, those are everywhere, from one horizon to the next. A sea of white: white robes, white straight-jackets, and oddly diminishing hospital staff in white lab-jackets—those must be the lifeless buoys floating by our life-raft at night.
Am I dreaming? I believe I’ve begun hallucinating; apologies. On to the quick status update!
The Lunatics Have Escaped and Taken Over!
It is no coincidence that 666 (yes, Satan’s three digits), that’s six hundred and sixty-six new Laws went into effect (mostly) this past September 1st, 2021. Much is happening here in the Lone Star State. Too much many would retort. When Texas politicians and their fanatical supporters want to be seen and heard on the front-page of every major newscast in the country and many around the world, Texans go big indeed. Way BIG! And I’m not referring to the anatomical part most alpha-male Texans try to brag about or over compensate for… being cheated down there—or up there for that matter—by his supposed Creator. That’s another sort of “blessing” I have no interest to venture.
Quick bullet-points of what narcissistic insanity has befallen we Texans, we 8th, 9th, and 10th-generation Texians (i.e. heritage/origins not of the Confederate Deep South), we Tejanos, and Native American Tribes people here long, LONG before Confederate Southerner Euro-Americans arrived or those well after. Here’s just a handful of these unprecedented disturbing new laws:
House Bill 1927 — Texans ages 21 and older can now carry handguns with zero training nor any type weapon’s license as long as they are not legally(?) prevented from doing so. Despite this bill’s forcing through the Chambers and onto Texans, near 60% of Texans oppose permitless-carry, or what I describe as incompetent-carry.
Senate Bill 8 — prohibits abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy. This bill also rewards any private (vigilante) citizen $10,000 or more for any private Texas citizen to pursue (harass?) and win a lawsuit against “any person” accused of having “aided or abetted” in an abortion, including clinic and medical staff/doctors.
House Bill 1280 — outlaws abortions in Texas 30-days after any potential future U.S. Supreme Court decision overturns Roe v. Wade, backed heavily by Texas Republicans.
House Bill 2497 — establishes an “1836 Project” committee to produce patriotic Texas history materials, which will be distributed through channels such as when people receive driver’s licenses. The initiative’s name mirrors the “1619 Project,” a New York Times publication examining U.S. history from the arrival of enslaved people.
House Bill 3979 — limits teachers from discussing current events and systemic racism in class, i.e. “critical-race-theory.” The bill also prevents students from receiving class credit for participating in civic engagement and bans teaching of the “1619 Project.” For example, teaching a positive viewpoint about the Nazis-SS “Final Solution,” the Holocaust, is apparently urged strongly by our State’s Educational Board and by ISD’s on our middle and high school Social Studies and History teachers. They will have to soon comply. See below news video at the end of these bullet-points.
House Bill 19 — protects/insulates even more extensively “Big Business” corporations in Texas against an opposing public. It requires drivers of commercial vehicles—including Ubers, Lyfts, and delivery trucks—to be found liable in court for causing a car crash resulting in injury or death before a case can be brought against their employer.
House Bill 1382 — creates an online tracking system for mail-in ballots and applications for mail-in ballots. The system will be run by the Texas Secretary of State.
House Bill 1925 — makes camping in “unapproved” public places (homeless camping) a misdemeanor crime that carries a fine of up to $500. Cities cannot opt out of the ban, even under the virtue of compassionate aid.
Senate Bill 1 — bans Texas voters from registering using a post office box as their address, another allows the secretary of state to cut funds for voter registrars that fail to remove certain people from the rolls, and one more makes it harder to apply for a mail-in ballot for medical reasons. In this bill 24-hour voting is banned, drive-thru voting is banned, officials mailing unsolicited mail-in ballot applications is banned, further empowers Partisan “poll watchers” (indecent hecklers), and new extensive requirements for people assisting disabled voters to vote.
And no surprise, Texas Republicans have also further REDRAWN (yet again) the political districts of the state to keep Texas Republicans in majority power for the next decade. They simultaneously diminish the power of voters of color—despite new census numbers pointing to Texans of color as the main force behind the state’s population growth. The new districts will be used, no surprise, for the first time in next year’s 2022 primary and general elections, barring any court interventions.
Texans/Asylum patients wading out into the croc-infested Mara River, Tanzania, Africa — Are they tRump Republicans seeking a Promised Land on the far side?
Therefore, in the dysfunctional, pathological spirit of current times in Texas, I offer a most apropos musical tribute to Lone Star living inside (and outside) the Asylums, known as Texas…
See a clinic full of cynics
Who want to twist the peoples' wrist
They're watching every move we make
We're all included on the list
The lunatics have taken over the asylum
The lunatics have taken over the asylum
No nuclear the cowboy told us
And who am I to disagree
'Cause when the madman flips the switch
The nuclear will go for me
The lunatics have taken over the asylum
The lunatics have taken over the asylum
I've seen the faces of starvation
But I just can not see the points
'Cause there's so much food here today
That no one wants to take away
The lunatics have taken over the asylum...
take away my right to choose
take away my point of view
The lunatics have taken over the asylum...
take away my dignity
Take these things away from me
The lunatics have taken over the asylum...
take away my family
Take away the right to speak
The lunatics have taken over this asylum...
take away my point of view
Take away my right to chooseThe lunatics have taken over this asylum...
As I’ve mentioned to one or two blogging friends recently, me and my family are not out of the dark yet with our misfortunes this past Spring and Summer. Furthermore, it has now come to light from various specialized doctors that my Mom’s mental-memory condition is significantly worse, to put it optimistically. This is probably a contributing factor, if not the main reason, to how and why our large “Family Estate” with hefty financial account balances were possibly (illegally) accessed and emptied, moved. The investigation and litigation is ongoing. But it is clear to me that Mom was hood-winked and horribly exploited, but didn’t realize it. Now she cannot remember anything. We have our suspicions as to who or whom the non-family member(s) might be, but we must allow due course and legal officials to do their jobs. Grrrrrrr. Ugh. Where is time, or speedier time when you really need it?
I’m unsure when I will be afforded this kind of brief, opportune respite for WordPress again, but I will and do pop-on every so often. Geezzz, if there is one thing I’ve realized these last four months it’s that I NEED, I mean… really need contact, engagement, discussion with civil, intelligent, reasonable thinking, adventurous, moderate and especially free-thinking minds! I’m surrounded by everything that is none of this, my life-line, my steady diet of unconventional, sort of unpopular popular freaky, liberal friends and who possess impeccable senses of humor! Well, there’s one or two who don’t fit that description, but they’ll remain nameless. 😉
Be safe and well all of you. I miss my precious, regular, usual hours with all of you. Hopefully this world—maybe this state?—will return to a moderate normal and kinder balance. We can hope so, yes?
'Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it' - Terry Pratchett
The Professor's Convatorium 